Faculty

Gerald D. Nichols

Director, Palmer Institute for Public Library Organization and Management

B.A., Springfield CollegeM.L.I.S. Palmer School of Library and Information Science, C.W. Post Campus, Long Island UniversityCertificate in Construction Management, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Description

Nationally recognized as a public library manager, consultant and educator, Gerald (Jerry) Nichols, developed and manages the Palmer School’s unique post-M.L.I.S. public library administration program. The former director of the Suffolk Cooperative Library System, one of the nation’s busiest cooperative library systems, he is noted for the implementation of technological innovations and the expansion of numerous public library facilities.

He is the editor of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State and is recipient of the New York Library Association’s Outstanding Service to Libraries Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the Library Trustees’ Association of New York State. As Chair of the New York State Regents’ Advisory Council on Libraries he oversaw the development, publication and adoption of Creating the Future: a 2020 Vision Plan for Library Service in New York State.

With nearly four decades of regional, statewide and national leadership in library service, legislative and governance issues, and consulting experience in management, finance, construction, project planning, implementation and evaluation, Nichols provides vision and leadership to the Palmer School’s renowned public library program.

Specialties

Public Library Management, Construction, Finance, Technology, Law

Publications

Public Library Finance and the Trustee’s Fiduciary Responsibilities, New York State Library. 2014.

The Critical Partnership: Public Library Trustees and the Director, New York State Library. 2014.

What Every Trustee Should Know. New York State Library. 2013.

Basic Library Law for Trustees. New York State Library. 2013.

Creating the Future: a 2020 Vision Plan for Library Service in New York State. Regents Advisory Council on Libraries. New York State Board of Regents. May 2012.

Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State; 2005 & 2010 Editions. New York State Library; Library Trustees Association of New York State; Public Library System Directors Organization.

“Developments in post masters education for public library administration in North America. With particular reference to the public library administrators’ certificate program at the Palmer School of Library and Information Science.”. IFLA. Oslo, Norway. 2005.

Authored the “Public Library District Model”, as part of “The Recommendations of the Regents Commission on Library Services”, 2000. Adopted by the New York State Board of Regents as the legal standard for public libraries in the state.

Editor, (1979-85), “Long Island Directory of Libraries and Media Centers” and similar publications for Westchester, New York City, Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts.